This piece is in response and opposition to recent demands and censoring tactics of certain Yale students. In composing it, I believe my personal background and Yale experience enables identification with anger, discomfort and apparent alienation that motivates these students. (See No. 10 below.)

However, they went too far. When those destined to assume positions of influence in the nation ignore, indeed trample, upon hard-won, precious American freedoms and tradition, sympathy and patience reaches its limit. If proper guidance does not come from within — from Yale administration overly sensitive to image — it must come from without.

Thus, on a recent rainy New Haven morning, having driven up from Pennsylvania and stayed overnight with my college roommate in Guilford, I positioned myself in front of the Nathan Hale statue on the Yale freshman quad with a poster setting forth counter-demands and advice.

I chose Hale’s statue because, in sacrificing his life for his new nation at age 21 — “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” — Hale presents a stark contrast to students ranting about supposed slights and offenses bearing solely upon personal feelings (as they contemplate careers on Wall Street). (So-called “triggers,” “micro-aggressions” — a look askance; a tone/comment dismissive of … Papua New Guinea?) Curiously, I have long had a photo, taken years before my Yale association, of my paternal immigrant Jamaican grandfather posing in front of the Hale statue.

My first demand of Yale protesters was that they contemplate the character and ultimate selfless sacrifice of Nathan Hale. Compare your “pain” to his, your “woe-is-me” posturing to his behavior. Compare your danger. Compare your sacrifice and discomfort. Compare yourself! I noted further that Nathan Hale was male and white. Therefore, what? He and his sacrifice are to be discounted?

No. 2: Rethink assessments of the relative value, the supposed equality of cultures. Where else in the world, in what other culture in all of human history would minorities, women, gays — YOU! — fare so well respecting freedom of speech, association, movement, opportunity? Beyond Europe, what other culture is even close?

I noted that what we enjoy in America is not perfect. What we have achieved indeed evolved from thinking and writings of privileged, leisured European white males — Rousseau, Voltaire, Locke, etc. — and our own white, often leisured Founding Fathers. It arose upon a foundation of enslavement, destruction of native peoples, cruel conditions imposed upon individuals of all colors. Abuses occur even now. On the Yale campus. Nonetheless, respecting advancement and respect for all individuals, American culture is superior to any that ever existed!

No. 3: Apologize forthwith to professors Christakis and the Yale community! Insist, nay, beseech both to return to teach next term. They are good, well-meaning people. They are allies, and your behavior went too far. Own this! Your behavior was unworthy of intelligent, educated persons, whatever your grievance. (Hardly of the order of halting war or ensuring the right to vote.) You have been too self-centered, too sensitive, too insecure. Your excess has been Talibanesque. The young woman who so disgraced herself with a viral rant should redeem herself by being the supplicant envoy in this mission of reconciliation.

No. 4: Desist in ISIS-like mania to scrub and extinguish symbols with which you disagree, all that remotely offends you! In so doing and insisting, you reveal yourself as weak, fearful, ignorant, unworthy of your university and your privilege. Those who tolerate your myopic, childish petulance are likewise weak, remiss.

I allowed that, respecting the matter of Mr. John C. Calhoun’s name remaining prominent on the Yale campus, some may have a point. However, where does this cleansing of history (and false, self-serving angst) end? Washington owned slaves, also Jefferson. Also free blacks of the time and native Americans!

No. 6: Do not ignore or forget (nor necessarily forgive) painful lessons of the past and history. However, do not claim to be presently damaged, immobilized and the like by mere reflections of that past and history. Not if you aspire to the leadership cadre Yale makes possible. (Such is too self-serving, too ridiculous, too unworthy of future leaders. This campus is not supposed to be safe harbor, but roiling sea of spirited, educated, ration­al, respectful discourse that fits one for leadership.)

Being at Yale can be tough. However, the tempering and advantage makes the rest of life far easier.

No. 7: Unlike lesser, craven institutions — Harvard, Princeton — do not give in to foolish, insecure whim respecting words. Retain the term “master.” (It means control over, power over. It connotes “massah” only to one possessed of [obsessed with] a slave mentality. Pathetic!) Rather, master yourself! Strive for mastery! Become the master — of something! Own this powerful term.

No. 8: I suggested one of the new residential colleges be named for Thaddeus Stevens, who was the equal of Lincoln in being feared and hated by the slavery-supporting South, and greater than Lincoln in championing equality of all, anti-slavery, rights of women, the poor, the downtrodden (and public education), despite his being a Dartmouth grad.

No. 9: Appreciate your significant privilege and advantage! Do your homework! Be successful! (How can you not?!) Try not to become the pedestrian, grasping, ordinary (if privileged, well off) folk so many Yale predecessors — black, white, male, female, other — have upon leaving. I noted that thanks to others, all doors are open. There are no racial/gender barriers! I advised that imagined oppressors — racism, classmates, Yale, perhaps me — are not. Yale will be family and ally going forward.

No. 10: Enjoy your marvelous, privileged opportunity! I certainly did, despite fistfights with classmates, being a scholarship kitchen worker, nearly flunking out, four trips to the New Haven draft board and, coming from Los Angeles High School, eldest of 11, finding myself in a strange, near lily-white environment. I still knew I had it good — really good! My Chinese-American and Polish-American roommates from the elite Choate School (who corrected my grammar and polished my rough edges [triggers!]) remain best friends to this day.

No. 11: Stay out of my old Silliman courtyard! Unless there to witness the original Tang Cup beer-drinking-for-speed competition with Timothy Dwight each May 1.

Wentworth (Earl) Miller is a Rhodes scholar and graduate of Yale College (1969), and Yale Law School (1977).